Douglas Krone, the founder and CEO of the the geo-targeted app Leloca, had his answer ready when I asked him how he planned to avoid being seen as just another daily deal product. Think of Leloca more as part of the sharing economy, not the coupon-of-the-moment variety, he suggested.

"We're not trying to create a deal engine, per se. We're trying to create a better way for local neighborhood businesses and their customers to connect," Krone told me last night at a launch event in New York City's East Village to herald the arrival of a shopping channel on Leloca. The app, which got its start in 2011 and is available for both iOS and Android devices, had been playing in the dining and spa space in the New York area before the expansion to shopping.

Krone, a 37-year-old who has been an entrepreneur since he was in his early 20s, more likened his company to Airbnb than to Groupon (Nasdaq: GRPN). It's about helping businesses somewhat off the beaten path attract the foot traffic that might be just a block away, Krone said, essentially describing the app as being mostly about yield management—when a restaurant or shop is slow, they can post a special to draw in outsiders.

Unlike other deal sites, Krone said Leloca doesn't charge participating merchants a percentage of the coupon—er, special offer. Instead, the app allows merchants to participate for free for 90 days and then charges a $1.99 fee for every customer who takes advantage of an offer. There are separate apps for both customers and merchants, allowing businesses to create specials on the fly. So far, it has about 300 participating merchants, he said.

J. "Josh" Jennings Moss has spent time on the police beat in Florida, on the political trail in Washington, D.C., and on the business front in New York. Among the places he’s journalized: Condé Nast Portfolio, FoxNews.com, ABCNews.com, the Advocate, the Washington Times, and the Tampa Tribune. Josh graduated from the University of Arizona and lives in New York City.

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